Directorate of distance education

CASE STUDY
Whirlpool Corporation – Giving the Strategy a Spin
Whirlpool Corporation is one of the world’s leading manufacturers 
and marketers of major home appliances. The company has principal 
manufacturing operations and marketing activities in North and 
South America, Europe, and Asia. Whirlpool’s primary brand names-
KitchenAid, Roper, Bauknecht, Ignis, Brastemp, Consul, and its global 
Whirlpool brand-are marketed in more than 170 countries worldwide. 
In North America, Whirlpool is the largest supplier of major 
appliances to Sears, under the Kenmore brand. This accounts for nearly 20 
percent of Whirlpool’s sales. Whirlpool, which manufactures its products 
in thirteen countries, makes about 25 percent of its sales in Europe and is 
concentrating on emerging markets in Asia and Latin America.
Regional Operation Summary
North America Whirlpool operations in the United States, Canada, 
and Mexico together form the North American Region. The combined 
operations work with a unified strategy for manufacturing and marketing 
appliances in the three countries.
Latin America Whirlpool includes Central and South America and 
the Caribbean. The Latin American Appliance Group of Whirlpool and its 
affiliates have the largest market share and one-third of the manufacturing 
capacity of the region. The Latin American home appliance marker is 
expected to expand more rapidly than that of either North America or 
Europe.
Asia Whirlpool has been exporting home appliances to Asia for 
over thirty years. From 1993 to 1995, Whirlpool moved aggressively to 
increase its presence throughout the region by establishing marketing 
and manufacturing joint ventures. In Asia, Whirlpool focuses on four key 
products: clothes washers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and microwave 
ovens. Today, the company enjoys the number one position among non – 
Asian competitors in the region. 

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Notes
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With a staff of approximately 11,000 and eleven factories in six 
countries, Whirlpool Europe ranks as the third-largest producer and 
marketer in Western Europe. It commands the leading position in Central 
and Eastern Europe and is growing steadily in the Middle East and Africa. 
A strong focus on the needs of customers in each of Europe’s various 
markets, combined with a coordinated, [an-European approach to many 
common operations and activities, provides Whirlpool Europe with a 
strong foundation to build for the future.